


I'm a Desert, You're the Ocean

by mizufallsfromkumo



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cuban Lance (Voltron), Folklore, Healing, Hurt Shiro (Voltron), Japanese Shiro (Voltron), M/M, Reincarnation, Shiro (Voltron) Has PTSD - Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Shiro (Voltron) is a Mess, Shiro (Voltron)-centric, Water Spirit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-07-02 21:32:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15804990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mizufallsfromkumo/pseuds/mizufallsfromkumo
Summary: “You look just like him.”  Lance stated as he continued to look at Shiro curiously from above.  He brought a hand up to lightly run his fingers along Shiro’s long scar across his face.  Yanking it away sharply when Shiro jerked at the touch. “Well...mostlylook like him.  More than anyone else before.”“Like who?”  Shiro asked cautiously.“Shirogane Takashi,”  Lance answered in a soft...almost loving tone.Shiro bit back a comment about how that was true because that washisname.  So of course he looks like himself more than anyone else.  That was how the world worked.





	I'm a Desert, You're the Ocean

**Author's Note:**

> Well I planned to work on Nesting Alphas part three last night. But then this little gem came to me and I really couldn't pass it up. Only my computer just randomly shut off while first trying to write it in a tumblr draft...so I had to start all over again. Thankfully the beginning flow is a little better, so that was something good to come out of it.
> 
> But this mostly happened because I was crazing some Mer!Lance. Like really really bad, and I wanted instant Shance. (As well as a break from working on Part 3 of Nesting Alphas so I don't burn out on it, because I've reach a slow point in writing that I have to just get through before I get to the spot I want to be at).
> 
> It's kind of based off a similar idea I had a while back with Mer!Lance. Only I switched some things up and threw a few more elements in.
> 
> Also, just a quick note:  
>  _"Words in quotes looking this"_ = Being spoken in Japanese   
>  "Words in quotes looking like this" = Being spoken in English

Shiro sighed to himself as he sat down near the edge wooden pier.

He didn’t  _ want _ to be there.

No, he would much rather be inside.

Buried under the covers on a futon in the room he was staying in at his grandparents house.  Trying to not really exist in the world, or chasing after sleep he wasn’t too sure he  _ really _ wanted. Or helping craft charms with his grandfather for the upcoming festival at the temple they cared for, if his grandmother wanted him to be seemingly productive in his day.  Or mindlessly watching whatever he could find on TV that didn’t trigger anything for him.

Or better yet, in his own home, in his own bed, under his own covers back in the States.

But he wasn’t.

Because his grandmother crafted him a bento and told him to go somewhere that wasn’t the house and eat it.  Sternly telling him not to return until he did so. As he needed the fresh air, and slight walk for his health.  And that she would know it he just tossed the food and hid in the house garden. 

Something Shiro did not doubt.

His grandfather had suggested the pier when Shiro tensed at the idea of walking to a nearby park, or the small town square.  

As the little wooden pier always calmed Shiro as a small child in the worst of fits. Not to mention  _ no one  _ would be there.  Because the pier is only open to the public during the summer festival to place their offerings for the Guardian Spirit in a small boat.  So no one would stare at him. 

And claiming the Guardian Spirit of the Bay would see to protecting Shiro from anything that might come while he was there.

And it wasn’t a  _ bad _ suggest.

Because the moment Shiro first set foot on the pier he could feel himself relax and his anxieties ease away.  More so with every step he took down it. The sound of the waves softly crashing against the rocks, and the water lapping at the wooden posts, helped to melt it away.  The breeze off the water and sea cut through the heat of summer that was currently upon them. A small collection of clouds stopping the sun from completely beating down on Shiro.

And he always remembered a sense of calm that came over him when ever he was on it.  Similar to the way of coming home after a long day away.

Of course, that didn’t mean he  _ wanted  _ to be there.

Yet, he feared the wrath of his grandmother enough to go.  He really would rather not be dragged to the temple, and forced to pray to the temple god for forgiveness for not listening to her.  As she only had his health in mind.

_ Everyone _ had Shiro’s health in mind.  

His family and friends back home had sent Shiro to his grandparents and uncle in Japan for that purpose.  To help him heal and recover from the traumas he faced in war. All hoping that the calmness of the temple grounds their family had overseen for  _ centuries _ would help soothe and ease the pain.  While the change of scenery reinvigorated him enough to work on coming to terms with happened and moving forward in his life.

And it was helping to a degree.

As Shiro was more at ease most of the time.  

But the nightmares were still terrible when they happened.  Leaving him panting and sweating and fearful of closing his eyes again.  The phantom pains weren’t much better. Neither were the panic attacks that seemed to happen at the smallest of things.

So not a satisfying enough one.

As Shiro knew his grandmother prayed to the temple god each morning to help heal him.  Asking as nothing more than a small favor for the Shirogane’s long line of service to both them and the Guardian Spirit.  And his grandfather would walk to the edge of the pier to ask the Guardian Spirit to protect Shiro from any more harm. All with promises of continued Shirogane service and onigiri offerings as he did do.

He knew that because both had dragged him to do so shortly after his arrival in Japan.  As if to present him to each entity. And Shiro was too jetlagged to resist.

With another small sigh, Shiro turned his attention to his lunch.

Carefully opening the bento box his grandmother had carefully prepared.  Resting the top off to the side, and placing the packed chopsticks on top.  He twisted open the thermos of tea his was given as well, and poured a small cound into the cup top.  Before he reached forwards to pick up the box in his left hand to hold it while he ate. He moved to reach for the chopsticks with his right....

Oh... _ right _ .

Groaning in slightly frustration, Shiro looked up at the sky.  Frowning slight at the universe for just being a general dick to him.

Honestly Shiro was a decent enough guy.  He couldn’t think of nothing he had done to piss off some higher power that decided to deal him that moment in life.  It wasn’t the worst he was given, by the farthest of means, but it feels like it was just rubbing it all in again.

Shiro, however, decided feeling sorry for himself wasn’t going to help him get back inside any faster.

So he carefully rested the box on his lap.  Balancing it slightly on his leg as he reached with his life hand for the chopsticks.  It took him some time to fiddle them into place in his left hand, as it still wasn’t as natural as it had been in his right.  He was still learning that, but he could more than manage.

And manage he did...for three successful bites.

Because after that, the chopsticks decided to fling themselves out of his hold as the bento box shifted suddenly.  And Shiro dumbly went for trying to catch the box. A move he realized was dumb when he heard the small ‘plops’ of the chopsticks falling into a water.

Shiro groaned again and buried his face in his hand.

Why did the universe had to hate him so much?  

Couldn’t it see he was stumbling around to get back to feet after all it put him through.  Couldn’t it see he was trying  _ really _ hard to work at overcoming everything.  It didn’t have to keep being so cruel to him.

He really should have asked his grandmother if she had packed him a fork before just leaving at her stern command.  Because he was much  _ better _ with a fork in his left hand than anything else.  Or at least training chopsticks his grandparents still had lying around from when Shiro and his cousins were younger.

Because now he had nothing to eat his food with.

Well... _ aside _ from his hand.

“ _ I believe these belong to you, yes?” _ A voice suddenly asked in fluent Japanese.

Shiro turned in surprise at the sound.  

Because, well...it came  _ from _ the water.

He turned to find a man that very clearly  _ wasn’t _ Japanese, just in the water.  Moving slightly like he was treading some to stay afloat a top it.  He had tan skin, brown hair, and a face structure to that was of a Western tourist.  A pleasantly warm and kind grin on his face. Blue eyes blinked up at him widely, as his right hand held up chopsticks that had flung themselves from Shiro’s fingers.

The man flinched slightly as Shiro looked at him.

Drawing back slightly like he was almost shocked to see Shiro.  His eyes widening like he actually  _ recognized  _ Shiro and couldn’t believe he was before him.  But Shiro was pretty sure he had never seen the man in his life.

Even though something about him  _ felt _ familiar.

“Ugh... _ yes…” _  Shiro said dumbly back, as he reached for them slightly.  “ _ Thank you.” _

Shiro had half the sense to ask who the man was, and how he got there in the water.  Because the beach was nearly a mile south of the temple. And the coastline along the way was elevated, and the water was deep and filled with rocks.  For any one person to swim all that was a decent feat...unless of course the man jumped off the pier. 

Which he was technically not allowed to be on.  But if he was a tourist he might had missed a sign, or not understood what it meant well enough.  The gate isn’t really locked and there is a path to it from the temple. So if he was wondering...perhaps he just saw and went for it.

And yet…

“ _ Takashi, is that you? _ ” The man asked suddenly pulling the chopsticks back.

“ _ How...how do you know my name? _ ” Shiro asked as his brows pulled together in confusion.  “ _ Who are you?  Where did you come from?  This is pier isn’t open to the public, you shou--” _

_ “You do not remember me?” _ The man ask, his expression dropping slightly as he tilted his head to one side. 

Shiro shocked his head slowly.  

Because he was pretty sure he would remember meeting someone like the man before him.  Partly because he was beautiful. The kind of beautiful one doesn’t just  _ forget _ seeing anywhere.  And partly because his eyes are so blue.  It’s like the very ocean itself looking up at him.

“ _ I will remind you,” _ The man continued.

Suddenly the man moved forward.  Reaching for the edge of the pier, and with one easy movement hosted himself up out of the water.  And he’s sort of towers over Shiro, who fell to his side in shock at the movement. 

But there is no panic in his belly, just surprise at the action.

Then the man grabbed his shirt and pulled Shiro close.  And in another quickly movement with a tilt of the head, he was kissing Shiro.  His lips soft and warm against Shiro’s as he did nothing more than hold them there.  All Shiro could do was stare wide eyed, while his mind tried to figure out what was  _ happening _ .

But again, there is no panic.

And then the man just dropped Shiro 

“Jesus!”

“Lance.”

“What?”  Shiro asked confused.

“Lance,”  The man said again as he was dripping water down an Shiro from his perch above him.  “My name is Lance.”

“You speak English?”  Shiro asked at the sudden fluenity of English in the conversation.

The man blinked down at him, tilting his head to the side again.  Sort of like a dog trying to understand what they were hearing. A curious expression of his face as he stared down at Shiro.  “I speak many of your human languages.” The man stated flatly.

Shiro raised an eyebrow at his words.

That was a weird sentence.

But then he ran his eyes down the man, Lance’s form.  

Shiro’s widen at the sight of his waist, where Lance’s tan skin gave way to blue iridescent scales.  Instead of swim trunks like Shiro thought they were in the corners of his vision when Lance first surged up and forward.  All of it clearly  _ one _ limb-like tail, rather than two limb-like legs.

_ A mermaid _ , Shiro thought, before more correctly settling for merperson.  Because Lance seemed pretty clearly male, it felt like a safer statement.  Just incase he blurted it out loud like an idiot.

“You look just like him.”  Lance stated as he continued to look at Shiro curiously from above.  He brought a hand up to lightly run his fingers along Shiro’s long scar across his face.  Yanking it away sharply when Shiro jerked at the touch. “Well... _ mostly _ look like him.  More than anyone else before.”

“Like who?”  Shiro asked cautiously.

“Shirogane Takashi,”  Lance answered in a soft...almost loving tone.

Shiro bit back a comment about how that was true because that was  _ his _ name.  So of course he looks like himself more than anyone else.  That was how the world worked.

“He’s hair wasn’t so... _ white _ , or short, but it is suiting.”  Lance carried on, gently bring his hand up to tough Shiro’s tuff of bangs lightly.  A small giggle of sorts escaping him as he amused himself with touching “I like it.  Very...fitting in a way.”

“Thank you…?” Shiro said awkwardly as he tried to sit up.

It was something as a task, as Lance doesn’t really move from above him.  Still hovering over him looking at him with curious and happy look to his face.  And well his right arm wasn’t there to help push him up like it use to. Which caused Lance to sink back some when he noticed, his expression dropping a fraction.

Only there is no disgust or pity that rose up in the drop.  Rather Lance looked perhaps a little sad, and far more angered by the sight. A hand flying to touch was little was left of Shiro’s arm, but it stopped when Shiro jerked away and toppled over a bit again.

Lance opened his mouth to say something.

But the sound of the gate banging loudly cut him off.

And as suddenly as he appeared, Lance was gone in a splash of water.

“ _ Ah, there you are Takashi!” _ his grandfather’s voice sounded cheerily.  And Shiro whipped around to see the old man shuffling along the pier towards him.  His own carefully wrapped bento box in hand “ _ I see you took my advice about lunch on the pier.  Mind if I join you?” _

Shiro turned back to the water.  Scrambling to seat back up as he looked. Half expecting to see Lance peeking up at him from a distance.  Or peering at him from just below the surface of the water.

But there is nothing.

And Shiro felt slightly...disappointed?

Turning back with a slightly frown, when he noticed his bento box had spilled from his lap.  Probably from when Lance had surged forward into his face and kissed him. At least third of the remaining food had fallen out onto the wood of pier.  Not that Shiro felt like had much of an appetite let after all the confusing events that just happened.

Shiro leaned back some.  His hand suddenly falling back on the chopsticks.  Causing him to whip around sharply to look at them as he picked them up.

“ _ Takashi?” _  His grandfather asked as he neared in his approach.  “ _ Is everything okay?” _

“ _ Yes,” _ Shiro said with a small nod.  “ _ I just fell over avoiding a bug,  _ _ Ojīchan _ _ , that’s all.” _

There is a loud splash under the pier at the words.  

It sounds like nothing more than a fish near the surface, but it made Shiro jump slight.  And he was half tempted to lean over the end. Just to see if he would find Lance hiding under there.  But he was also half afraid he’d get angrily splashed for saying as such.

His grandfather chuckled kindly as he moved forwards.  Carefully leaning down move Shiro’s tea and bento box top out of the way, before removing his shoes. He sat down on the edge of the pier beside Shiro with a small hum.  Dangling his feet over the edge and into the water, and opening his own bento box.

He peered questionaly at the slight wetness of the pier edge and Shiro’s clothes.  But he didn’t say anything about it as Shiro righted his bento box. Or when Shiro loosely tossed the food that fell onto the pier into the water with a slightly frustrated frown.

“ _ Offerings for the Guardian Spirit of the Bay?” _  His grandfather asked with a slight chuckle.

Shiro made a face at the idea.  

Because that wasn’t really  _ what _ he was doing.  It was more of a ‘look what you made me do’ towards Lance and where ever he disappeared too.

However in place of a short response, a request bubbled up in Shiro’s throat.

“ _ Ojīchan _ _ , tell me the story of why our family serves the Guardian Spirit of the Bay and the temple god.” _  Shiro asked as he chucked a sausage particularly far into the water.

His grandfather just smile at Shiro, and launched into the tale.

* * *

That night Shiro dreamed of cutting the ropes of a net dangling off the side of the foreign ship in harbor.  

Desperately trying to free a figure that looked to be a teenager half summaged in the water, tangled in ropes with a collection of shallow cuts and burns.  Speaking calmly to the figure that barely seemed to understand him so they didn’t waste energy they didn’t have. Everything about them was too tired, from how they weakly watched him with ocean blue eyes, to the blue iridescent tail which sparkled in the early morning moon light and moved slowly.  Then pulling them into his small little boat once the ropes were gone. And rowing away to safety as quick as possible.

It was only when they reached the cove, and the sun had risen more, that Shiro realized it was Lance, the merperson he meet that day, fighting to stay conscious.

Shiro woke up with a sharp gasp.

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah, this is my Mer!Lance/Shance AU I just randomly sort of had last night. 
> 
> Lance is not immortal in this fic. Merpeople just have very very long life spans that can span thousands of years, and age very very slowly. A similar rate of 1 year "human" aging takes them like 100 years after they reach maturity at 17. So Lance looks like he is in his 20s when he really is like 400 or 500 years old. And Shiro is a reincarnation of well...himself from a long time ago, that saved Lance and nursed him back to health.
> 
> Shiro's family over sees to the care of the village's temple and the cove. (Please realize I know little about the culture of Japanese temples, and am taking a lot of creative liberates here) And there is a whole local legend, that a Shirogane (Shiro) saved the the Guardian Spirit of the Bay (Lance) and they feel in love. But they were torn apart by war, in their grief of their love being killed, the Guardian Spirit destroyed the threat. And the Shirogane's pledge their service to them and the temple god. And it's been that way ever since. 
> 
> I planned for this to just be a little blurt, but don't be surprised if I write more. Cause I have a few more ideas, that flesh out the background more, and explore. While also having Lance being a naive little thing, but also the biggest little shit that is so in love with Shiro. But I will probably post them in here...just because.


End file.
